Dresden Hauptbahnhof Railway Station

Foster + Partners, Dresden, 2003

 

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Although th eorigianl roof was destroyed, the nineteenth century iron arches remain almost completely intact 

Nigel Young     Download Original

  • Although th eorigianl roof was destroyed, the nineteenth century iron arches remain almost completely intact    
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  • The roof dips and swoops - it seems as if the arches are tethering the fabric down rather than supporting it    
  • The glass lantern sits atop the faintly Art Nouveau facade    
  • The glass dome roof    
  • The station, originally designed by Ernst Giese and Paul Weidner, was was built in 1898    
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  • The original reception building was a highly eccentric confection    
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  • The faintly Art Nouveau interior facade    
  • Seating area    
  • The first element of the redevelopment was the reconstruction of the 30,000 sqm roof, a task made more urgent by the degraded and unsafe state of the old steelwork    
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  • Originally the roof was partially glazed, but after the war it was covered with timber, admitting no daylight    
  • The entire structure has now been restored to its original condition and sheathed in a translucent skin of Teflon-coated glass fibre    
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  • Roof plan    
  • First floor plan    
  • Short section    
  • Short section    
  • Long section    
  • East elevation    

Renovation and expansion of Dresden's public railway station as part of a wider masterplan to revive the surrounding area

The station was originally designed by Ernst Giese and Paul Weidner in 1898 and survived through the city's firebombing during WWII.

A Teflon-coated glass-fibre roof has been constructed over the train sheds, which evokes the idea of natural light flooding into the building. The design as a whole points towards this light and open atmosphere: cross-bracing arches give emphasis to the barrel-vaulted roof, which has been extended over the outer platforms by 200 metres.

A cupola has been reconstructed in the interior, which also diminishes the building's reliance on artificial lighting.

Data

  • Begun: 2001
  • Completed: 2003
  • Floor area: 30,000m2
  • Sector: Transport
  • Total cost: £94M
  • Tender date: 1997
  • Address: Dresden Hauptbahnhof Railway Station, Prager Straße, Dresden, 01069, Germany

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